Ayurveda divides tastes into six general groups: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent.
To maintain a balanced diet, all six tastes should ideally be represented within a meal.
A meal containing only one or two tastes may leave a sense of dissatisfaction.
The tastes (Rasa)
Sweet (Madhura)
Increases Kapha, with traditional exceptions such as aged wheat or rice and green gram.
Sour (Amla)
Increases Pitta, with traditional exceptions such as Amla and pomegranate.
Salty (Lavana)
Increases Kapha and Pitta.
Pungent (Katu)
Increases Vata, with traditional exceptions such as garlic and dried ginger.
Bitter (Tikta)
Increases Vata and decreases Pitta and Kapha.
Astringent (Kashaya)
Increases Vata and decreases Pitta and Kapha.
Sweet, Sour and Salty tastes are traditionally regarded as lubricating and supportive of elimination.
Pungent, Bitter and Astringent tastes are considered drying and may promote constipation.